Eloise at the Tanners
by Me
Summary: When Eloise stays at the Tanners for a couple days, can silliness be far behind? A comical cookie caper is just part, then a very special Mother's Day treat.


Note: I don't own Eloise or Full House, but thought they were a natural mix. Eloise books came out in the 1950s, but they they were reprinted around 2000, and the movies have just come out. Given the timelessness, then, I felt I could easily justify a crossover with a couple other very funny little girls, the Tanner sisters. And, I made this the book universe, BU-B from the books out now, and decided it was best from the BU version of Season 4, when Mother's Day...well, you'll have to read to see what I did.  
  
Someone else is welcome to have Danny take the girls on vacation while Jesse and Becky are touring county fairs w/the bad that summer, or cross them over at another point in time. I just don't know enough of the hotel people to do them justice; I got Eloise from the Christmas movie and the website about the books. I hope I did Eloise well enough, though.  
  
A little hiatus from now, to work on my own POD stuff, probably, but who knows when I'll pop back next.  
  
ELOISE AND THE TANNERS  
  
Danny Tanner grinned and stared into the TV camera. "Well, that's what the rich and famous do when they stop here in San Francisco," he remarked. He and his brother-in-law's wife, Becky Donaldson, had just hosted a very wealthy business person and philanthropist on their show, "Wake Up, San Francisco." "That's about all the time we have, I'm Danny Tanner."  
  
"And, I'm Becky Donaldson...."  
  
"And I'm Eloise. I am six. That's my Mommy," said a blonde-haired child as she rushed in front of the camera, looked at it, and pointed at the show's guest. "We live at the Plaza Hotel with Nanny."  
  
Before Danny could comment that she'd interrupted their ending, Nanny came running onto the set. "There you are, Eloise, I've been looking..." She suddenly stopped and stared at the camera. "Oh, for Lord's sake, I'm on the air, aren't I?" came the embarrassed, British sounding voice.  
  
"It's okay, we went off just before you ran in here. Although Eloise did introduce herself to all of San Francisco at the very end of our show."  
  
"At least the audience knew who she was from the pictures her mom showed," Becky said with a nervous laugh. Privately, she hoped the viewers hadn't been too stunned by the sudden appearance of a cute, somewhat tall for her age six-year-old. The girl was wearing a neat looking black skirt and white blouse; mroe formal than most of the kids Becky knew, but still a good play outfit.  
  
Her mom gently guided Eloise over to where she was sitting and spoke softly. "Eloise, we agreed you were going to stay with Nanny and play on the set of that cartoon show." Danny's best friend, Joey Gladstone, hosted a cartoon program wherein he did skits with kids in between cartoons.  
  
Joey also lived in the Tanners' basement apartment. He and Becky's husband, Jesse, had lived with the Tanners ever since Danny's wife, Pam, died four years earlier. Now, Jesse and Becky shared the attic apartment.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mommy. I just wanted to see what else was here."  
  
"From the sounds of it, she's as adventurous as my three girls," Danny remarked. Jesse, Joey, and now Becky helped raise them, though D.J. at fourteen, helped quite a bit with Michelle, too. Michelle was only four and a half. Stephanie, the middle girl, was nine.  
  
"I should say so. Watching Eloise is a constant joy. She keeps me very, very, very young," Nanny said adoringly.  
  
"Yeah, she's probably more active than all the von Trapp kids put together would be," Becky joked.  
  
"Nanny is just like their nanny, too," Eloise said excitedly. "She loves to sing. Especially at Christmas. We sing carols at the top of our lungs!"  
  
"From what you were saying before, Mr. Tanner, she would probably get along very well with your children. Especially with Stephanie, since Eloise is so verbal," her mom said.  
  
"Well, we should do that sometime while you're vacationing here. There's a carnival near here this weekend. Last time I took Michelle to one of those, I spent almost twenty dollars in quarters trying to help her win a goldfish. We're planning on going, although like some kids at her age she's sort of tired of her fish; you know, after the initial excitement...." He stopped, realizing he was rambling.  
  
"That sounds wonderful. We're planning something special together for Mother's Day Sunday, but how about we stop by early tomorrow morning? Eloise is quite the early riser," her mom said. Once that was agreed upon, the three of them left.  
  
Though they lived in New York City, Eloise took to the walking path of a local park as if she'd been there her entire life. Of course, she was using it as a skipping, jumping, and running path.  
  
She'd run ahead to investigate rustling caused by a rabbit scampering through, when she heard a short scream and tumbling. Running, back, she asked, "What happened? Are you all right?"  
  
Nanny responded. "Your mother was slipping down this little hill, and when I reached out to catch her I went, too. Oooo."  
  
"We're okay, Eloise, but...I think you'd better go get the doctor. Do you remember where that station is where we entered the trail?"  
  
"Yes, Mommy." Eloise ran off in search of the station. She could tell her mom and nanny were hurt, but didn't think it was too bad. Considering Eloise's incredible routine where she lived int he plaza, including getting the mail, calling room service, and many more complex things, she knew she could handle this with ease.  
  
A girl with dark hair was wiping her eyes in the medical station while her mom cleaned a bad scrape and applying a band-aid. "At least I'm getting good at falling off my horse," she managed to say with a grin.  
  
"That's right, Elizabeth. And next year, when you're six, you'll be all ready to jump horses competitively, just like you want to do. You can see why I thought you were a little young for the competition in a couple weeks, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. I love horses. But, what if we're out riding and you fall and get hurt?"  
  
"Well..." The mom, Morgan, hadn't thought of that. "I guess you'll just have to learn how to go for help, huh?"  
  
Elizabeth kind of thought she could do that. But, when she saw the girl - only a couple years older than her, if that, rushing in all business- like and telling the park ranger exactly what had happened, she was certain, even without training. "I want to be just like her," she told herself.  
  
Eloise, meanwhile, was insistently directing the doctor on duty while telling him, "They're both talking. But, it looks like they hurt, hurt, hurt," she said. "I didn't think I saw any blood. But, it was rawther messy down there, with all the leaves." Though she was American, she'd picked up expressions like "rawther" from her nanny.  
  
The doctor nearly lost sight of Eloise as she scampered back to the spot where the others had fallen. Once they got there and he'd observed their injuries - the two had crawled back onto the trail - he used his cell phone to call the station and report on their progress. He also said he'd need an ambulance.  
  
"An ambulance? That's what you use if you have to go to the hospital! You're a doctor, can't you treat them here?" Eloise complained, hands on her hips.  
  
Her mother smiled. "It's okay, sweetheart. They just have to check to make sure we're okay."  
  
"Everything's going to be fine," Nanny agreed, trying not to let on how bad it felt.  
  
Eloise's mom then suggested that, "Once everything gets settled down and we get to the hospital, maybe we can have Mr. Tanner and his family watch you."  
  
Eloise thought that sounded like a great idea.  
  
At the Tanners, Joey checked his watch - he still had a couple minutes, then he had to go pick Michelle up from preschool. "Jess," he called downstairs to the recording studio that was part of his basement apartment, "I'm going to go get...oh, there's the phone.  
  
"Hello, Tanner residence, Joey Gladstone speaking...What?...You need someone to pick you up. Are you at school?...No, you're on a park trail. Okay, is the park in San Francisco?...It's close? So, how do I know what it looks like?...Oh, you're going to be at the hospital. Uh-huh. You sound pretty young, shouldn't you be in school?...Oh, I see, you're on vacation from New York. You know, I'm usually pretty good at Twenty Questions, but I'm really starting to get stumped. Let's see, are you a cartoon character?...No, but you were on TV this morning." Joey grinned broadly. "Ah, that would make you Eloise, wouldn't it?" He turned to Jesse, who was staring at him, having overheard much of the conversation. "See, I knew I was good at this game."  
  
"What I don't know is how you can figure people will call you up at random just to play 'Twenty Questions.'"  
  
Joey ignored the comment and turned back to the conversation. "How about putting your mom or someone else on the phone?"  
  
The doctor was finishing cleaning some scrapes and getting the mother and nanny into the ambulance. "You can ride in the back with us, Eloise. Then, when we have time..." Nanny began.  
  
At that moment, Eloise handed her mom the doctor's cell phone. "I got the number from the operator. Mr. Gladstone wants to talk to you and get directions." She called him that because, first, she so used to the proper names of her acquaintances and friends at the Plaza, and second, she didn't know the family called him Joey.  
  
Though taken aback for a moment, the mother took the phone and talked a moment, then gave Joey directions. The doctor, meanwhile, made a mental note to keep better track of his phone if he was caring for a patient.  
  
Joey and Michelle walked into the ER and asked where the family was. Michelle spotted Eloise instantly, though. "Look. That's a funny hat she has on," the preschooler said in a somewhat loud voice.  
  
"Heh, heh. You must be Eloise," Joey said.  
  
Eloise pretended she was admiring herself in a mirror with the bedpan on her head. "Yes. Nice hat, but rawther plain, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"Yeah. Look, why don't we put this bedpan back where we found it," he said, taking it from her.  
  
"What's a bedpan, Joey?"  
  
"Well, Michelle, sometimes people in hospitals can't get up to go to the bathroom because they're too sick. So, they need to use bedpans instead."  
  
Michelle stared at it, then Eloise for a second. "Ewww, gross," she declared.  
  
"You're right. That was not a very good thing to play with. It was just messy, messy, messy!"  
  
"Well, I'm sure it was clean, wherever you found it. Anyway, Eloise, I'm Joey Gladstone. Let's go talk to your mom and nanny..."  
  
"Yes, and tell them where I'll be. I can't wait to meet all the people Nanny says Mr. Tanner was talking about," Eloise said while skipping over to where her mom and nanny were. "We're staying at a luxury motel with...oh, do you have room for my turtle, Skipperdee? I brought him along."  
  
Joey didn't have time to answer, as upon entering Eloise was told some bad news. "I'm afraid they're going to have to keep us a day or two for observation," her mother said.  
  
"That's right. Lots of things just hurt, hurt, hurt. And they want to make sure neither of us has any bleeding or other problems on the inside. But, we should be out by Mother's Day."  
  
Joey could tell Eloise looked really sad, and maybe a little scared. As her mom and nanny hugged her, he smiled and tried to lighten the mood. "Why sure. We even have room for your turtle. What a great name." He began to do the voices of Gilligan, then the Skipper, from Gilligan's Island. "Skipperdee, Skipperdee raft we're making has a leak in it." "Well, how did that get there, Gilligan?" "I don't know, Skipper, but it's right where de ball landed when I tried to practice my bowling on it." "You dropped a bowling ball on our raft? Gilligannnn!" As he was doing this, everyone in the room began giggling.  
  
"I don't think Eloise knows who that is; she just doesn't have time for TV. But, she found the voices funny anyway. She just loves to laugh, laugh, laugh sometimes," Nanny remarked.  
  
"That's right. I've got lots of things to do. A girl has to keep busy, you know," Eloise proclaimed.  
  
Once they gave the family their address, stopped for lunch, and got some of Eloise's stuff from the motel over to the Tanners, Eloise and Michelle started playing. Joey couldn't help but laugh as they ran along the top of the bannister hitting the rungs (skiddering, as she called it) with a stick, or had adventurous tea parties that were reminiscent of ones Stephanie would have when playing with her friend Harry at age six. Indeed, since Joey was such a kid at heart, he played along with them quite a bit. Just like Eloise's friends at the Plaza would.  
  
Joey took them to his Ranger Joe program to be in the circle of "forest friends" sitting around him while they did silly skits and watched cartoons. However, he soon learned that watching cartoons was not somethign Eloise would do.  
  
The moment they went on the air, Michelle held up a bag with a couple goldfish in it. "Anyone want a goldfish?" she asked.  
  
"I brought my turtle, Skipperdee, too," Eloise added.  
  
"Hey, that turtle has sneakers," a boy, Aaron declared.  
  
"Heh, heh. Well, of course. It has to be quiet, because as Ranger Joe and his friends know, turtles are very slow when they sneak up on prey. Right, Mr. Woodchuck?" Joey asked his puppet partner, a woodchuck who loved wood puns.  
  
"That's right, Ranger Joe. They're almost as slow as a piece of..." The puppet looked all around. "...wood."  
  
After trying to explain about Michelle's fish - the first one had died, then the second one which she'd been given to replace it been very pregnant - and the fact Michelle had grown tired of the aquarium in her room, Joey was interrupted by Eloise again. "This looks like lots of fun. Is it like this in the woods for real? I am a city child, so I've never been in the woods."  
  
"Well..." Joey looked at his watch. He had hoped to put something on the air, but if he let Eloise continue, he feared she would take all the time away fromt he cartoons. So, he said, "All right, kids, look, we can talk about that after this segment. But, Ranger Joe needs to play some cartoons, because...well, that's what this show is. Let's watch a classic, speaking of turtles." He'd planned this after knowing Eloise would bring her turtle. "It's one of the oldest Bugs Bunny ones, called 'Tortoise Beats Hare.'"  
  
"But, you just gave away the ending," Eloise complained.  
  
"Well, yeah, but you see, there's this fable..."  
  
Aaron spouted, "That turtle cheated. He..."  
  
Joey calmly placed a hand on Aaron's mouth. "Heh, heh, before we give away anything else, why don't we cut to the cartoon. Please?" he begged the engineer, who promptly switched on the cartoon.  
  
Few of Ranger Joe's "circle of friends" watched it. Aaron spent the whole time saying Bugs Bunny could never really lose. Michelle kept trying to pawn off her fish. Eloise got a couple of boys interested in playing pirate. By the time Joey was back on the air, there was complete bedlam on the set.  
  
Eloise, however, was generally obedient for a six-year-old, so when Joey had said the red light was about to come on and she needed to sit, she reluctantly agreed. Then, he asked a prop man to bring out some other puppets, puppets he'd brought just in case they needed them. Eloise loved trying to do puppetry. If it was fun, she wanted to do it.  
  
Joey was quite thankful when the show was over, however. "Guess what, Danny; when we get home, it's your turn," he remarked as they met in the parking lot afterward. Danny and Becky had just finished preparing video and other things for the next week's shows, as well as calling several guests.  
  
Eloise and Michelle skipped into the house, to be greeted by Jesse in the living room. "Hey, Eloise, I got the hospital room number. Your mom and nanny are gettin' some tests done right now, but after supper we can go up and see 'em. Also got instructions on bedtime and stuff," he reported as Joey and Becky made their way to their respective rooms to change. Danny didn't need to change; he always seemed to be wearing a shirt and tie.  
  
"Daddy, can Eloise sleep in my room tonight?" Michelle asked excitedly.  
  
"Well, honey...she's really a bundle of energy. Plus, she might wake up and feel kind of lonesome tonight; it's the first she's been without either her mom or nanny. So, I think it's best if we pull out Steph's sleeping bag and let her sleep with your older sisters."  
  
"Okay. Can I sleep over there in my sleeping bag?" Michelle asked.  
  
After a few seconds of a pleading look, Danny gave in and said she could. He could tell Michelle and Eloise were bonding. And, since Eloise really didn't enjoy school or live in a real neighborhood, her nanny had suggested it would be good to surround her with kids, even if they weren't quite her own age.  
  
"You sure have a big dog, Mr. Tanner. My Weenie is really little compared to him," Eloise remarked. Comet, the Tanners' Golden Retriever, was probably about 75 pounds.  
  
"Can we take Comet for a walk?"  
  
"Sorry, Michelle. Comet's too big."  
  
"That's why we want to walk him together. Duhhuh," Michelle spouted. Eloise gave her a look - she couldn't believe Michelle talked like that.  
  
Or that she was allowed to - the men didn't correct it. Jesse merely said, "Yeah, but you see, her dog's so much smaller, that's why she can walk him. You could have ridden on Comet when you were two. Now if your dad had said an elephant is too big, then he'd deserve a 'duh.' You gotta wait till you're a lot older, like nine or ten, to be able to walk Comet. Okay?"  
  
"You got it, Dude."  
  
As Jesse and Danny went into the kitchen to start supper, Eloise said, "Your daddy doesn't make you act respectful? Nanny says we have to be good to others. And I want to be. Because, when I'm bad, I have to sit in a chair. I do nothing but sit, sit, sit, and look at the wall, till Nanny lets me get up. That's so boring!"  
  
"Daddy sends me to my room sometimes. But, I can talk like I want around him," Michelle explained as D.J. walked downstairs behind her. She listened in, and eventually folded her arms, turning several colors as Michelle continued. "They don't care how I talk. But, D.J. does. So, I don't talk like that around D.J.. I like to talk like that, though. Uncle Jesse and Daddy say it's cute."  
  
"Uh, Michelle..." Eloise thought that might be D.J. behind Michelle, but wasn't sure.  
  
"I'm a big girl now. I'm going to Kindergarten next year. And, I can say 'duh' to people when I want!"  
  
"Oh, really?" D.J. said with a piercing glare, the glare that she'd given many other times when she'd corrected Michelle about that, trying to get her to be respectful. As Michelle turned around and gulped, D.J. took her hand and said, "It looks like we need to have a long talk about this."  
  
Eloise felt badly for her friend as D.J. walked her over to a corner. As she listened to part of D.J.'s lecture, she could tell D.J. was quietly but firmly scolding Michelle about being nice and respectful, and how it wasn't just a matter of being good because D.J. was around, it was a matter of being good, period. Michelle was starting to get the bossy attitude some kids got just before or during Kindergarten, and D.J. wanted to put a stop to that before it got worse.  
  
Michelle sniffled a little, though no tears actually came out. Eloise figured they were probably close tom coming, though. D.J. gave Michelle a little squeeze and reminded her she loved her before letting go and walking into the kitchen. Eloise could tell D.J. was a little sad, too.  
  
It reminded her so much of her nanny. In fact, she supposed that made sense. She knew these girls didn't have a mother. So, D.J. simply filled that role, in her mind.  
  
"I'm sorry D.J. had to be mad at you," Eloise said kindly as Michelle moped over to the couch and plopped into it. Eloise sat beside her and held her hand.  
  
"Thanks." Michelle breathed heavily, and wiped away a tiny tear. It made her sad to be yelled at, and that definitely worked well when used wisely, as D.J. had. "I can't eat dessert for three whole days."  
  
"Did she know you said that to your daddy just now?"  
"No. Then I would have gone to my room, too."  
  
Eloise nodded slowly and smiled. "Yep. Just like Nanny would do," she told herself, happy that she always tried to be polite.  
  
Late that night, Eloise lay awake in a sleeping bag. She looked at her new friend Michelle, curled up in her sleeping bag with a stuffed bunny, and smiled. This place was lots of fun. It didn't provide her with weddings and debutante balls to slip into uninvited, or reveal as many cool places to explore, as the Plaza did. But, she could still use her imagination and play a lot, and the people even hosted their own TV shows. She didn't watch TV much, she was so busy. But, that was a really cool thing.  
  
As Danny had predicted, though, she missed her mom and nanny. So, she got up and walked over to the person closest to one - D.J.. "Psst, D.J., are you awake?"  
  
"Mmmm?" D.J. rolled over slowly in her bed. "Oh, hi, Eloise. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Okay, I guess." She crawled into the bed, and got the expected big hug from D.J.. "Thanks. Now I'm feeling good," she said with much more of a smile.  
  
"We're going to have some fun tomorrow at the carnival."  
  
"Yeah. And Mommy and Nanny will be out of there for Mother's Day." She was curious, so she asked point blank: "Are you really sad 'cause you don't have a mommy?"  
  
"Mother's Day was really tough the first year or two. But, we always have fun things going on, so we don't really think about it as much. Just like you have so much fun with Nanny and all your friends at the hotel."  
  
Eloise agreed. "My mommy travels a lot on business. But, I always know she'll be back."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She began to say it must be really hard for Michelle. But, as she laid there and let D.J. stroke her back, she decided that it probably wasn't as hard. Michelle had made something really special for her dad Friday while the others at preschool made Mother's Day cards. She had plenty of people who loved her, just like Eloise did. She had her Uncle Jesse and Joey, something nobody else had. But, most importantly, she did have a nanny like Nanny was. In fact, from the love D.J. showed for her even when Michelle was being rude, and the way she'd helped with things like bathtime when she probably had lots of other things to do - and, despite how busy her own mom was, like D.J. she always found time for Eloise when she was around - Eloise realized that, in a way, Michelle did have a mom.  
  
It was a shame Danny had been the one to get the fancy card.  
  
After a fun morning at the carnival - complete with several stuffed animals being won and a number of balloons which Eloise delivered to her mom and nanny, as well as to half a dozen other hospital patients - Eloise and the Tanners returned home. Eloise couldn't lift the aquarium - and there were no waiters to put it on a serving tray and roll it out - so instead she and Michelle put more fish in more plastic bags and went out onto the front lawn. Eloise even made a sign with red letters advertising the free goldfish.  
  
Michelle turned to Eloise after a few minutes. "I wonder why nobody wants a free goldfish?"  
  
"We need more of a plan. We just came out here and sat down," she said with an air of authority.  
  
"What kind of a plan?" As Eloise thought for a second, Michelle said, "You find a plan, I'm hungry. I'm gong to get some cookies."  
  
"Michelle, D.J. said you couldn't have any snacks for three days."  
  
"I can get them when she's not looking."  
  
Eloise didn't want Michelle getting in even more trouble. Being bad was one thing; Eloise couldn't imagine what Nanny would do if she knew she'd been forbidden to do something because of her misbehavior and did it anyway. She would never act like that after being punished. But, it appeared Michelle might.  
  
So, Eloise, decided to have some fun. "Let's leave the fish here. Getting cookies takes a lot more work."  
  
"It does?"  
  
"Sure. You have to have a very complicated plan if you're going to rescue cookies from an evil villain."  
  
Michelle smiled and tapped her chin. This was started to sound like fun. "Like what?"  
  
"I'll show you. Come on. First we have to find some disguises." Eloise motioned Michelle toward the door. "Once we put them on, I'll tell you what to do next."  
  
Since Jesse and Becky were visiting Jesse's parents, the girls had the run of not only the true attic, but of the third floor attic apartment. The girls didn't need the latter, though. Finding costume jewelry, some things Pam had worn as a teenager, but that were too big for the girls, a fake mustache for Michelle, a powdered wig for Eloise, and a couple fancy hats with gaudy fake fruit on them, they quickly changed into their "disguises."  
  
Danny thought they were so cute that he had to get a picture. "All right, Sir, but I'll have you know we only have a minute," Eloise said with haste.  
Danny beckoned them into Michelle's room, snapped the picture, and asked why the hurry.  
  
Eloise spoke in a hushed tone. "We are hunting the evil villain Mr. Baddie. We have reason to believe that he has taken the world's cookie supply. If something is not done soon, he will replace every cookie in the world with brussel sprouts," she said in a forboding voice.  
  
Danny laughed out loud. "Okay, but don't spoil your dinners," he remarked.  
  
"We won't. But, first, we must swear you to secrecy. The crayon?" Eloise took a crayon that Michelle offered, and made a mark on Danny's hand. "If you tell anyone of the secret plan, this is a homing device that will go off under your skin and give you chicken pox."  
  
"What if I've already had chicken pox?"  
  
Michelle jumped in. "Maybe it gives him a tummyache."  
  
"That's right, it gives you a big tummyache. Like you get when you eat way, way, way too much chocolate." Michelle gave a "been there, done that" look.  
  
Once they left, Eloise started planning something else. But, of course, she wanted to have fun doing it. "Now, we need to know where your jam and peanut butter is."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"As a diversion. We need to hide it. Mr. Baddie might decide to take it next, and we can catch him in the act." Eloise led Michelle to the kitchen, and they hid peanut butter, jelly, and a couple slices of bread.  
  
"He'll make himself a sandwich?"  
  
"That's right, Michelle. Or, maybe he'll turn it into a piece of liver."  
  
Michelle couldn't believe all they were doing. "All I want is a cookie," she said, holding out her hands.  
  
"Not yet. The trap is almost set. Now, we need to write a message in code." Stephanie walked into the kitchen before heading out the back door. "Ah ha. This may be a witness. Where were you between six and seven this evening?"  
  
"It's not quite two..." Stephanie began before stopping. She chuckled at the girls' attire, then decided to play along for a moment. "I was at a bowling alley," she said.  
  
"And, what did you do at this bowling alley?"  
  
"I was playing tennis," Stephanie told Eloise sarcastically.  
"You played tennis at a bowling alley?" Michelle turned to Eloise. "Is that suspicious?"  
  
"Very suspicious," Eloise confided. "We'll have to keep an eye on her." She told Stephanie, "Don't leave the country till we get to the bottom of this!"  
  
"I won't; I'll just be over at my friend Allie's for about an hour."  
  
"Fine. But, if you see or hear anything strange, call me at this number." She pulled out a card from Michelle's Go Fish deck, and gave it to Stephanie.  
  
"Fine. I'll call you at Angelfish if I hear anything," she said with a polite grin. She stifled a laugh as she left. Eloise sure had a wild imagination.  
  
Once Michelle knew Stephanie was gone, she asked in an impatient voice, "Now, can we go get the cookies?" She walked up to the cookie jar.  
  
Before she could get on a stool, Eloise told her to wait. "We can't just walk in, he has guards everywhere. We have to sneak in." Eloise led her to the basement apartment, and they did several things with Joey's puppets before emerging, going up to Michelle's room, and finally coming down to the kitchen. Then, they went up to the same spot they'd been at ten minutes earlier. "Now, we have to be very quiet," Eloise whispered. "Let me go in; I'm an expert at freeing cookies from evil villains."  
  
Eloise slowly grabbed a bag of cookies while Michelle watched and licked her lips. "Yay! Okay, give me one," the preschooler said.  
  
"Nope, sorry. D.J. said you couldn't have any for three days," Eloise said protectively, skipping into the living room with the cookies.  
  
"Hey! All that playing for nothing! What a rip off!" Michelle ran after her.  
  
She almost ran into Danny as he was dusting the coffee table. "Whoa, hold on," Danny said as Jesse and Becky entered the front door. "What's going on here?"  
  
Michelle explained all that they'd done. "And then she wouldn't even let me have any 'cause D.J. grounded me from snacks," Michelle complained.  
  
"That's funny. Reminds me of the crazy plans Tom Sawyer had to free Jim, even though he was free to begin with." Becky then turned to her husband, knowing he, too, might be lost after her comment, and said, "That's from Huckleberry Finn."  
  
"Hey, I knew that. Always liked that book; thought the kid would have really made a great rock star if they'd had rock and roll back then. I'll admit, my grades weren't the best, but hey, that's one book where I read more of the book than I did the Cliff's Notes." He shrugged and added, "'Course, it's the only one."  
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Danny asked. He then knelt down to Michelle's level, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Honey, I'll talk to D.J. if you want, but you've known since you were wee little that while I'm the boss, she's sort of a team captain around here. And, usually when she says something, it's just because she wants you to grow into a wonderful girl, and someday - a long, long time from now - a wonderful young lady."  
  
"I know, Daddy. I just like seeing what I can get away with," she muttered.  
  
"I know. There's where it's great to have friends like Eloise to help, too. It sounds like you had a really great time playing, even if you couldn't get any cookies. Right?"  
  
Michelle smiled now, as she considered how much fun she'd had. "Yeah. It was fun. Let's play some more silly stuff like that, Eloise," she said.  
  
A little while later, back in their regular clothes, Michelle was bored, though. "I'm going out to see if anyone's taken out fish."  
  
Eloise found some other fun things to do - she figured that Michelle was just out there sitting at their "free fish stand."  
  
However, Michelle wasn't there when she checked next - she'd come back in, gone out again, and then left. But, everyone had been busy with something else, thinking the other one was watching or, at the least, that Michelle would be good and stay in her yard.  
  
Eloise walked outside, and looked both ways. She decided it was okay to go around the block - and she saw Michelle just turning the corner. Then, she heard shouting. As she ran up to investigate, she realized that Stephanie had caught Michelle while coming home on her bike. And, she sounded mad!  
  
"Sorry I wasn't watching," Eloise said meekly to Stephanie.  
  
"It wasn't your fault," Stephanie said as she walked Michelle and her bike back home. "Michelle knows to stay in her yard. Go tell our dad I caught Michelle wandering around the block," she said with a sigh.  
  
Eloise did as she was told. Once Danny to Michelle explained how dangerous it had been and sent her to her room, he saw D.J. and told her. Eloise, meanwhile, began to play with Stephanie in the older girls' room.  
  
"Deej, I thought you'd want to know," Danny told D.J.. "Steph was riding her bike home from Allie's and caught her playing at a house around the corner; she'd gotten sidetracked walking from house to house seeing if anyone was outside who wanted some of her fish. Michelle knows she's not allowed out of the yard by herself. We talked about it a fair amount, how dangerous it was for us to not know where she was and all that..."  
  
"Well, don't worry, Dad." D.J. knew Danny's lectures were usually not very long or loud - especially when it came to his "little princess." He hated to see Michelle sad. "I'll talk to her too, once her timeout's up." Quite loudly, she could have added.  
  
Eloise sighed as she saw D.J. going into Michelle's room. She didn't remember much about when she was four, she had a lot more freedom now in the hotel. Of course, what she didn't know was that all her "friends" were also part of Nanny's network of adults who looked out for her and made sure she was safe. She still had to tell Nanny where she was going, of course, but things like her "morning rounds" could get quite complex.  
  
Eloise turned to Stephanie and remarked, "She's going in there to talk, talk, talk, till she just can't talk any more."  
  
"You've got that right," Stephanie said.  
  
After playing with Eloise for a while, however, Stephanie instantly told Eloise to halt. Eloise was holding up her prized possession, a stuffed bear with a detective outfit on named Mr. Bear. "Put him down now!" Stephanie commanded.  
  
"No way;" she declared as Michelle walked into the room. D.J. followed. "I'm an evil pirate, and he's going to walk the plank unless I get what I want from him!"  
  
"How rude!" Stephanie turned several shades of purple as Eloise prepared to throw Mr. Bear clear over to the other side of the room. "I said to put him down now!"  
  
"You better do what she says," Michelle said. She didn't want Stephanie to start screaming like D.J. had, or louder.  
  
Eloise did, and Stephanie spouted, "Thank you! That was a very, very, very, very, very...." She was speechless.  
  
"I think we need a new robot Stephanie, this one's broken," D.J. joked. She then beckoned Eloise to sit beside her, and put an arm around her. "Eloise, Mr. Bear is more than just an animal Stephanie sleeps with," she explained tenderly, gazing at Eloise's startled face. She'd never expected such a reaction.  
  
As D.J. explained, though, she realized what she'd done had been quite wrong. "You see, Eloise, our mom gave Mr. Bear to her just a few months before she died. It's the last stuffed animal she gave her, and because of that, Stephanie sees him as a link to our mom. He's more than just a bear, he's a friend. And, it really hurts her for anyone to play with him, especially to threaten him. Because, we have lots of pictures and other things, but sometimes that's the only thing that really helps her remember our mom."  
  
"I'm sorry," Eloise said, choking back tears. She couldn't imagine what it was like to lose a mother. But, she could tell it was really hard. Especially around Mother's Day, she thought to herself.  
  
D.J. hugged her. "It's okay, Eloise. We know you didn't understand."  
  
Stephanie got on the other side and hugged her, too. "Yeah. We still like you and everything. Although you should definitely be grounded for wandering off yourself without telling anyone."  
  
"Way to go, Steph-ster," Michelle teased. She was glad someone else was getting in trouble - and especially glad she wasn't the only one who would really get yelled at for hurting Mr. Bear.  
  
"You too, Michelle. You know I hate being called Steph-ster."  
  
"You're too late, Steph; Dad and I already grouned her," D.J. remarked lightly. She didn't say anything about Steph not really having authority to do that. She had been grooming Stephanie as an assistant, and it did sound like something D.J. would say. Stephanie normally did defer to her, after all.  
  
Eloise looked sadly at Stephanie, who gave her another hug. She felt glad that Stephanie wasn't too mad anymore. But, she wanted to help her, too. So, once D.J. left, she revealed to Stephanie her idea for Michelle.  
  
"That sounds great," Stephanie said.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to make her sit in the corner, too?" Michelle asked.  
  
Eloise looked deflated. Was Stephanie able to do that, too? From what Michelle had said, it sounded like only D.J. could punish Michelle. However, she muttered, "You can if you want. That's what Nanny makes me do when I'm bad, bad, bad."  
  
"You know, somehow, I got the idea that sitting still would be a very effective punishment for you." She grinned and put an arm around her. "I yelled pretty loud, though. So, let's just say we're even. Because I'm sure it won't happen again. Right?" she said in a threatening tone. Eloise hastily agreed.  
  
The next morning, D.J. woke at about the usual time. She wasn't a bit surprised to see that Eloise was also up; or that Michelle was. Stephanie still laying in her bed was a surprise, though.  
  
Stephanie noticed that D.J. was awake, and instantly put down her book. "Wait right there; don't move," she ordered.  
  
D.J. shook her head as Stephanie walked out the bedroom door. "Little sisters." She went back to thinking about the fun of the day before, and of her entering high school in just a few months. She'd pushed aside any thoughts about it being Mother's Day.  
  
However, Eloise popped her head in and said, "Good, you're up." Before D.J. could respond, Eloise asked, "Stephanie told me about the time she had to go to a slumber part with a mom, and you went instead so she'd have someone with her."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"And how you'd go see her in Kindergarten when she'd start crying."  
  
"Yeah." D.J. sighed dreamily. "And I was secretly glad she'd started grieving at that moment one time because it was just before a science quiz I hadn't studied for."  
  
"And about...oh, I ordered room service." Eloise pointed to Stephanie, who was carrying a plate, Danny, who had a TV tray, and Michelle, who had a fork and a card.  
  
"Room service?" D.J. was stunned - she was getting breakfast in bed? Danny took the video camera from Becky and continued filming the proceedings as it began to dawn on D.J. what day this was. But, wasn't this something mothers got?  
  
"And how Michelle always snuggles in bed with you in the morning, and you used to call her your 'little Strawberry Shortcake.' And, how you gave up a slumber party to stay home with her when she had the chicken pox. And..."  
  
The tray was set up now, and Stephanie and Michelle were laying on either side of D.J.. "I made you a card. Stephanie helped me with the words," Michelle explained.  
  
"A card? But...why..." As she opened it and read aloud, she began to weep. It spoke of how much she loved Michelle, no matter how good or bad she was, how she was always there for them, and so on.  
  
The end, however, made her bawl. "I never met my Mommy, but I know it's true. I know that my Mommy was just like you." She hugged her younger sisters, the group hugging lasting several minutes. "Oh, Michelle. Am I really...I mean, I try, but...I just can't..." She didn't know what to say. There was so much pain, at times, without a mother. And yet, here she was, being honored as if she was one. And, to say that Pam was just like her...she'd tried so hard to be even close to the wonderful, loving mother Pam had been, and she thought there was no way she could approach her.  
  
"Those are happy tears," Eloise said by way of explanation.  
  
"They sure are," Danny said, getting a little misty-eyed himself.  
  
D.J. was finally able to construct a complete sentence. "Michelle, this is so lovely. And, you guys went to all this trouble? I mean, I know I try, but..."  
  
"It was really Eloise's idea," Danny said.  
  
The visitor nodded. "I just wanted to help you have a happy Mother's Day. 'Cause I knew it had to make you sad not being able to celebrate it."  
  
"Oh, thank you, Eloise." D.J. invited her up into the group hug. She crawled into the bed, and D.J. remarked, "We always have lots of fun, even without celebrating it. But, today was just...this is going to be a memory I treasure all my life. It's just so special. We didn't need it, but...I'm so glad you helped."  
  
"I am, too. You're the most wonderful big sister I could imagine," Stephanie said.  
  
"And I know Mommy was just like you," Michelle said with an air of confidence.  
  
"Oh, Michelle, I try so hard. It's really difficult when I have school and everything else, though."  
  
"So? Eloise's mommy is away a lot, too."  
  
"That's right. I love my nanny a whole lot. Just like you love your daddy and the others. But, I think you do as much for Michelle as my mommy does for me."  
  
D.J. breathed heavily. "Maybe I do. Maybe I do, I don't know. It's gonna be harder once I start high school in the fall."  
  
"That's okay, Deej. I've learned from the best how to take care of Michelle. I probably could have handled that lecture and grounding her all by myself if I'd had to yesterday."  
  
Michelle looked quite downcast at that reminder, so D.J. gave her a squeeze and alittle kiss ont he forehead. "I'm sure you coudl have," she told Stephanie. "It's almost impossible to put you at a loss for words. So, I guess I can hike across Europe like other high school kids I've heard about, and you won't mind?"  
  
"Why not? My mommy goes to Europe. I've been to Paris, Moscow..." She tried to think of what other cities she'd been to.  
  
"Yeah, but your mother doesn't need permission from her dad first," Danny joked, trying to insert his own authority into the talk of Europe.  
  
Stephanie smiled. "Don't worry, Deej. You can go to Europe in a year or two if you want. We know you can't be everywhere. But, you do what you can. Sometimes, more than you have to. And, that's really special."  
  
After lunch, Danny and the girls took Eloise to the hospital, so she could present a Mother's Day card to her mom and nanny. "Thanks for watching her, Mr. Tanner," the mom said.  
  
"Thank you. Because of Eloise, my girls had a Mother's Day they'll never forget."  
"I'm sure you found a way to make it special," Nanny remarked.  
  
"We sure did, Nanny. And, Stephanie says she's sure you'll get that tape, too, along with the one of my Ranger Joe show and a few other things."  
  
"Yeah, I guess I am pretty crazy about taping things and taking pictures," Danny admitted.  
  
"You'll have to come visit us sometime. "We've got plenty of room. And, Eloise can show you so many fun things," Nanny remarked.  
  
"I'll bet. She sure is a bundle of energy," D.J. commented.  
  
"I wish we could take Michelle's fish back, too."  
  
Danny told Eloise they didn't need to. "I called one of the girls' pediatricians, they can always use those things for kids to look at in the doctor's office. So, we're giving it to her."  
  
"I wish I'd been there to see her running around in a powdered wig, that would have been hilarious," Eloise's mom said.  
  
"If you come around Christmas time, my mommy will be there, too. But, if not, that's okay. Nanny can watch Michelle and her sisters, too. Right, Nanny?"  
  
Nanny chuckled. "Well, I sort of think it might help if Mr. Tanner were there to help."  
  
Once they said their goodbyes, D.J. remarked "It seems like it might be fun to live in a place like that. At least for a while."  
  
"There wouldn't be a lot of kids to play with, though," Stephanie asserted.  
  
"No. But, you girls would make do. Because, you've got so much love for each other, just like that family. Deej, you might not be a mom. But, Stepha nd Michelle are right. The way you are as a big sister, you're the next best thing." 


End file.
